Why do gibbons need our help?
There are currently twenty species of gibbons present on our planet today; however, the unfortunate reality is that this may not always be the case.
Of the twenty species of gibbons: five are classified as critically endangered, fourteen are classified as endangered, and one is classified as vulnerable through the IUCN Red List assessment.
The overarching threat to all gibbon species include: deforestation, hunting (for subsistence and pet trade), plantations and monocultures, shifting agriculture, and road construction causing fragmentation. Direct conservation action today is imperative if we want to reverse the decline of all gibbon species across southeast Asia.
Critically Endangered
Endangered
Vulnerable
How can we help?
The primary goal of our Rainforest Restoration tree planting
program at Prime Earth is to fully recover native ecosystems in critical gibbon habitats and prevent future destruction by strengthening forestland management practices in southeast Asia.
Through collaborative and holistic strategies that engage global and local communities in forest protection and forest appreciation, we will build back critical gibbon habitats,
increasing their chances for survival in the wild and their
population viability, so gibbons can be delisted from the IUCN redlist.
Corridors and Metapopulations
A metapopulation occurs when a single, continuous population becomes fragmented into smaller isolated groups due to environmental fragments or barriers. Gibbons are primarily arboreal creatures, so deforestation and the absence of high-quality forests with sufficient canopy cover and tall trees can easily hinder a population's ability to disperse, resulting in isolated metapopulations. When populations become smaller and isolated from other groups, this can lead to reduced genetic diversity, limited gene flow, genetic drift, increased risk of inbreeding, heightened susceptibility to diseases, and greater potential for harmful genetic variations to accumulate. Smaller group sizes may also increase vulnerability to thermal stress and predation. To facilitate the recovery of gibbon species and remove them from the endangered species list, a key objective is to preserve, enhance, or restore forest connectivity to enable essential dispersal among populations.
20
GIBBON SPECIES
11
COUNTRIES
0000
SITES
Restoration Plans
* Numbers are rough estimates and may vary
0000
RESTORED HECTACRES
0000
TREES PLANTED
0000
NEW TERRITORIES
0000
GIBBONS SUPPORTED
Potential Outcomes
0000
POPULATION NEAR SITES
0000
JOBS CREATED
0000
POTENTIAL REVENUE
Program Scope
Reconnect Habitats
Reconnect and enlarge vital gibbon habitat by planting trees in identified gibbon habitat areas
Engage Youth
Engage youth in social transformation to increase positive public perception of gibbons as keystone species
Implement Infrastructure
Implement technological infrastructure to ensure long-term sustainability of our planted areas
Improve Living Conditions
Improve the living conditions and quality of life for local communities reflexive of their community needs
Increase Job Opportunities
Increase sustainable job opportunities for local and regional citizens
Conservation Engagement
Increase opportunities for people in Canada and USA to engage in conservation initiatives in southeast Asia
Our Three Phase Approach
Current Phase
1
Our three phase approach
Why it's important to plant trees
Healthy forests make for a happy planet, and now more than ever before our earth needs trees. Lots and lots of trees!
Healthy trees foster vibrant ecosystems for humans and all other animals to depend on by improving air quality, conserving water, preserving soil, and providing food, medicines, and shelter to support life. They play an essential role in creating a better world and planting more trees is one of the best sustainable ways we can positively impact the health of our planet.
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FOR US
Through the process of photosynthesis, trees absorb large amounts of carbon dioxide from our air, storing it then producing the oxygen we breathe - making forests one of the world's most important carbon reservoirs.
Trees have been scientifically proven to help reduce stress, rejuvenating our energy when we spend time with them in nature.
FOR GIBBONS
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Gibbons depend on trees to provide food and shelter, needing large areas of continuous high- quality forest made up of a variety of season fruit trees (especially figs) for their survival.
They sleep, socialize, sing, and forage entirely in the trees, rarely coming to the ground, and fiercely defend their core home ranges from neighbouring groups in their communities in the jungle.
FOR ALL
Forests help regulate global temperatures and weather patterns in addition to their vital role in keeping our air, water, and soil quality clean and free of pollutants.
They provide habitats to over 80% of the world's terrestrial biodiversity. Just one single tree can be home to hundreds of species of insect, fungi, mammals, and other plants.
But planting trees is not easy...
Planting trees in your yard is great. But not all tree planting is equal and if you're not careful when it comes to restoring forests, there's a lot that can go wrong despite good intentions to plant more trees.
Planting too many of the same species of tree in one area, creating what's called a monoculture, can end up creating an ecological dead zone on the land despite having an abundance of one kind of tree in the area. Monocultures throw ecosystems out of balance, reducing biodiversity, weakening soil, and increasing a buildup of pests and diseases in the area, making it hard for life to survive on the land. These areas don't support a diverse collection of animals or other plants, and can even lead to increasing carbon dioxide output, worsening the problems of climate change on our planet.
Planting the wrong species of trees, ones that aren't native to the area, can also cause big problems for regenerating forests, as non-native trees can become invasive - taking over the area and destroying the local biodiversity as they continue to multiple and expand out of control.
And, equally important as getting more trees in the ground, young trees need proper care, protection, and maintenance to grow healthy, big, and strong. So it's not enough to simply plant new trees and expect them to grow. To keep trees healthy, they must be monitored by our local community partners who equally benefit from the trees in their area and care for their development to ensure young trees survive and thrive over many years to become healthy strong forests that support a variety of life on earth.
Our tree planting programs
Plant Mixed Forests
When we plant trees, we make sure to plant a mixture of native species that will provide the necessary variety of food, shelter, and nutrients for biodiversity to regenerate and thrive in the area.
Plant Native Species
Working with horticultural experts, we make sure to plant species that are native to the areas where we plant - preferring to include natives species that have become rare and need replenishing in the areas.
Engage Local Communities
We prioritize the involvement of local communities to ensure we're improving the quality of life for people in the area - motivating local citizens to care for and protect their trees and continue to plant more.
Monitor Our Progress
We monitor the trees we plant by maintaining a database that tells us exactly where the trees we plant are, whether they survived their first year, and how they're doing for up to 3 years to ensure maximum long term impact.
